Ultraviolet discharge lamp apparatuses having optical filters which attenuate visible light

ABSTRACT

The apparatuses disclosed herein include a discharge lamp configured to emit ultraviolet and visible light, an optical filter configured to attenuate visible light, and a power circuit configured to operate the discharge lamp. Some embodiments of the apparatuses are configured such that ultraviolet light emitted from the discharge lamp and passed through the optical filter encircles an exterior surface of the apparatus. Some cases of the apparatuses include a sensor system configured to monitor a first parameter associated with the operation of the discharge lamp and a second parameter associated with the transmittance of the optical filter. Some of the apparatuses include a means for moving the optical filter while the apparatus is in operation. In some cases, the apparatuses may be configured such that the optical filter may be arranged in and out of alignment with the discharge lamp. In some embodiments, the optical filter may be a multifaceted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to ultraviolet discharge lampapparatuses and, more specifically, to ultraviolet discharge lampapparatuses having optical filters which attenuate visible light andmethods of operating such apparatuses.

2. Description of the Related Art

The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior artby virtue of their inclusion within this section.

Discharge lamps are used in a variety of applications to generateultraviolet (UV) light, including but not limited to polymer curing,food sterilization, fluid and object disinfection, and room/areadecontamination. For example, it is known that UV irradiation in thespectrum between approximately 200 nm and approximately 320 nm iseffective in deactivating and, in some cases, killing microorganisms,giving reason to the use of ultraviolet light technology fordisinfecting and/or sterilizing items. In general, discharge lamps referto lamps which generate light by means of an internal electricaldischarge between electrodes in a gas. The electrical discharge createsa plasma which supplies radiant light. In some instances, such as inmercury-vapor lamps, the light generated is continuous once the lamp istriggered. Other configurations of discharge lamps, which are oftenreferred to as flashtubes or flashlamps, generate light for very shortdurations. Such discharge lamps are sometimes used to supply recurrentpulses of light and, thus, are sometimes referred to as pulsed lightsources. A commonly used flashlamp is a xenon flashtube.

Although different types of discharge lamps have been investigated toprovide UV light for different applications, little has been done toimprove the efficiency of the ultraviolet light generated inapparatuses, particularly with respect to the propagation of theultraviolet light (i.e., distance and angle of incidence on a targetobject). A reason for such a lack of advancement is that manyapparatuses having discharge lamps, such as food sterilization andsingle object disinfection devices, are configured to treat items placedin close proximity and in direct alignment with the lamp and, thus,little or no improvement in efficiency of the UV light may be realizedby altering its propagation. Furthermore, room/area decontaminationsystems are specifically designed to disperse light over a vast areaand, thus, altering UV propagation from a system may hinder such anobjective. In addition, many apparatuses with discharge lamps arelimited in application and versatility. For instance, many foodsterilization and single object disinfection devices are self-containedapparatuses and are configured for treatment of specific items and,thus, do not generally include features which improve the versatility ofthe systems for treatment for other items or use in other applications.Furthermore, some apparatuses require time consuming and/or cumbersomeprovisions in order to protect a user from harm. For example, pulsedultraviolet light technology generally utilizes xenon flashlamps whichgenerate pulses of a broad spectrum of light from deep ultraviolet toinfrared, including very bright and intense visible light. Exposure ofthe visible light and the ultraviolet light may be harmful and, thus,provisions such as containing the pulsed light within the confines ofthe apparatus or shielding windows of a room in which a roomdecontamination unit is used may be needed.

Accordingly, it would be beneficial to develop ultraviolet dischargelamp apparatuses having features which improve their utilization,including but not limited to features which improve the efficiency ofthe ultraviolet light generated, increase the versatility of theapparatuses, and reduce and/or eliminate time consuming and cumbersomeprovisions that are required by conventional systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following description of various embodiments of discharge lampapparatuses is not to be construed in any way as limiting the subjectmatter of the appended claims.

The apparatuses disclosed herein include a discharge lamp configured toemit ultraviolet light and visible light, an optical filter configuredto attenuate visible light, and a power circuit configured to operatethe discharge lamp and are absent of optics for producing a laser fromlight emitted from the discharge lamp. In addition, the apparatuses mayinclude a support structure containing the power circuit and supportingthe discharge lamp. Some embodiments of the apparatuses are configuredsuch that at least some ultraviolet light emitted from the dischargelamp and passed through the optical filter is propagated to a regionwhich encircles an exterior surface of the apparatus and further suchthat the ultraviolet light propagated to the encircling region during anoperation of the apparatus collectively occupies the entirety of theencircling region. Other embodiments of the apparatuses additionally oralternatively include a sensor system configured to monitor a firstparameter associated with the operation of the discharge lamp and asecond parameter associated with the transmittance of the opticalfilter. In yet other embodiments, the apparatuses additionally oralternatively include a means for moving the optical filter while theapparatus is in operation. In some cases, the apparatuses may beconfigured such that the optical filter may be arranged in and out ofalignment with the discharge lamp. In some embodiments, the opticalfilter may be a multifaceted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the following detailed description and upon reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ultravioletdischarge lamp apparatus having a horizontally positioned dischargelamp;

FIG. 2 a depicts an alternative configuration for accommodating anoptical filter in the ultraviolet discharge lamp apparatus depicted inFIG. 1;

FIG. 2 b depicts another alternative configuration for accommodating anoptical filter in the ultraviolet discharge lamp apparatus depicted inFIG. 1;

FIG. 2 c depicts yet another alternative configuration for accommodatingan optical filter in the ultraviolet discharge lamp apparatus depictedin FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts an alternative configuration of the ultraviolet dischargelamp apparatus depicted in FIG. 1 having a discharge lamp arrangedexterior to a support structure of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 an isometric drawing of an ultraviolet discharge lamp apparatushaving a vertically positioned discharge lamp;

FIG. 5 depicts an alternative configuration of a discharge lamp assemblyfor the ultraviolet discharge lamp apparatus depicted in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 depicts an alternative configuration of an optical filter for theultraviolet discharge lamp apparatus depicted in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 depicts another alternative configuration of an optical filterfor the ultraviolet discharge lamp apparatus depicted in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 depicts a system including multiple ultraviolet discharge lampapparatuses.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that the drawings and detaileddescription thereto are not intended to limit the invention to theparticular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within thespirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning to the drawings, exemplary embodiments of discharge lampapparatuses are provided. More specifically, exemplary configurations ofapparatuses are shown in FIGS. 1-3 having a discharge lamp arrangedlengthwise parallel to a plane of the apparatus at which the lamp issupported (hereinafter referred to as a “horizontally positioned lamp”).In addition, exemplary configurations of apparatuses are shown in FIGS.4-7 having a discharge lamp arranged lengthwise perpendicular to a planeof the apparatus at which the lamp is supported (hereinafter referred toas a “vertically positioned lamp”). In addition, a system having twodischarge lamp apparatuses is shown in FIG. 8. As will be set forth inmore detail below, the apparatuses and features described herein are notlimited to the depictions in the drawings, including that the dischargelamps are not restricted to “horizontal” and “vertical” positions.Furthermore, it is noted that the drawings are not necessarily drawn toscale in that particular features may be drawn to a larger scale thanother features to emphasize their characteristics.

Each of the apparatuses described herein includes a discharge lampconfigured to generate ultraviolet light and, thus, the apparatusesdescribed herein are sometimes referred to as “ultraviolet dischargelamp apparatuses.” In some embodiments, the discharge lamp of anapparatus may be further configured to generate other ranges of light,but such configurations will not deter from the reference of theapparatuses described herein as “ultraviolet discharge lampapparatuses.” In any case, the apparatuses described herein are absentof optics for producing a laser from light emitted from a discharge lampand, accordingly, may be referred to herein as non-laser apparatuses insome embodiments. Alternatively stated, the apparatuses described hereinare configured to propagate light emitted from the discharge lamp in anon-laser fashion. As set forth in more detail below, the apparatusesdescribed herein are configured to expose areas and rooms as well asobjects as a whole to ultraviolet light and, thus, are specificallyconfigured to distribute light in a spacious manner rather thanproducing a narrow beam of limited diffraction as generated by lasers.

The term discharge lamp as used herein refers to a lamp that generateslight by means of an internal electrical discharge between electrodes ina gas. The term encompasses gas-discharge lamps, which generate light bysending an electrical discharge through an ionized gas (i.e., a plasma).The term also encompasses surface-discharge lamps, which generate lightby sending an electrical discharge along a surface of a dielectricsubstrate in the presence of a gas, producing a plasma along thesubstrate's surface. As such, the discharge lamps which may beconsidered for the apparatuses described herein include gas-dischargelamps as well as surface-discharge lamps. Discharge lamps may be furthercharacterized by the type of gas/es employed and the pressure at whichthey are operated. The discharge lamps which may be considered for theapparatuses described herein may include those of low pressure, mediumpressure and high intensity. In addition, the gas/es employed mayinclude helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen,water vapor, carbon dioxide, mercury vapor, sodium vapor and anycombination thereof. Furthermore, the discharge lamps considered for theapparatuses described herein may be of any size and shape, depending onthe design specifications of the apparatuses. Moreover, the dischargelamps considered for the apparatuses described herein may include thosewhich generate continuous light and those which generate light in shortdurations, the latter of which are referred to herein as flashtubes orflashlamps. Flashtubes or flashlamps that are used to supply recurrentpulses of light are referred to herein as pulsed light sources.

A commonly used gas-discharge lamp used to produce continuous light is amercury-vapor lamp, which may be considered for some of the apparatusesdescribed herein. It emits a strong peak of light at 253.7 nm, which isconsidered particularly applicable for germicidal disinfection and,thus, is commonly referenced for ultraviolet germicidal irradiation(UVGI). A commonly used flashlamp which may be considered for theapparatuses described herein is a xenon flashtube. In contrast to amercury-vapor lamp, a xenon flashtube generates a broad spectrum oflight from ultraviolet to infrared and, thus, provides ultraviolet lightin the entire spectrum known to the germicidal (i.e., betweenapproximately 200 nm and approximately 320 nm). In addition, a xenonflashtube can provide relatively sufficient intensity in the spectrumwhich is known to be optimally germicidal (i.e., between approximately260 nm and approximately 265 nm). Moreover, a xenon flashtube generatesan extreme amount of heat, which can further contribute to thedeactivation and killing of microorganisms.

Although they are not readily available on the commercial market todate, a surface-discharge lamp may be considered for some of theapparatuses described herein as noted above. Similar to a xenonflashtube, a surface-discharge lamp produces ultraviolet light in theentire spectrum known to the germicidal (i.e., between approximately 200nm and approximately 320 nm). In contrast, however, surface-dischargelamps operate at higher energy levels per pulse and, thus, greater UVefficiency, as well as offer longer lamp life as compared to xenonflashtubes. It is noted that the aforementioned descriptions andcomparisons of a mercury-vapor lamp, a xenon flashlamp, and a surfacedischarge lamp in no way restrict the apparatuses described herein toinclude such lamps. Rather, the aforementioned descriptions andcomparisons are merely provided to offer factors which one skilled inthe art may contemplate when selecting a discharge lamp for anultraviolet discharge lamp apparatus, particularly depending on theobjective and application of the apparatus.

As noted above, the apparatuses described herein are configured todistribute ultraviolet light in a spacious manner such that objects aswhole and/or areas/rooms may be treated. In other words, the apparatusesdescribed herein are not configured to produce a narrow beam of lightfor a specific small target as may be used for laser applications. Giventheir configuration to distribute ultraviolet light in a spaciousmanner, the apparatuses described herein may be particularly applicablefor disinfecting, decontaminating and/or sterilizing objects as a wholeas well as areas and/or rooms. For example, the apparatuses describedherein may be used for disinfecting hospital rooms or may be used inagricultural operations, including those which are used to breed and/orfarm animals. In addition or alternatively, the apparatuses describedherein may be used for reducing microorganism growth on plants orsterilizing objects, such as surgical tools, food or pharmaceuticalpackaging. Other applications for the apparatuses described herein whichinvolve spacious exposure to ultraviolet light may be polymer curing andmedical procedures.

In some cases, the apparatuses described herein may be particularlydirected to room disinfection. More specifically and as set forth inmore detail below, some of the features presented for the apparatusesdescribed herein (particularly the inclusion of an optical filter, theinclusion of a reflector system to redirect ultraviolet lightpropagating from a support structure of the apparatus, the adaptation tomove throughout a room during operation, and/or systems includingmultiple discharge lamp apparatuses) may be especially suitable for roomdisinfection apparatuses. For this reason, many of the apparatusesdescribed herein and depicted in the drawings are directed to roomdisinfection apparatuses. Furthermore, for reasons set forth below, manyof the apparatuses described herein and depicted in the drawings arespecifically directed to floor based freestanding portable roomdisinfection apparatuses. The features described with regard to theapparatuses disclosed herein, however, are not necessarily limited toroom disinfection apparatuses or configurations to be floor-based,portable or freestanding. Rather, the features described herein may beapplied in any type of ultraviolet discharge lamp apparatus. As usedherein, the term room disinfection refers to the cleansing of a boundedarea which is suitable for human occupancy so as to deactivate, destroyor prevent the growth of disease-carrying microorganisms in the area.

The room disinfection apparatuses described herein may come in a varietyof configurations, including those which are floor based, wall based andceiling based. However, although room disinfection apparatuses may bedisposed within the ceiling of a room or within or against a wall, inmany cases it is advantageous to position a room disinfection apparatusaway from such structures. In particular, one of the primary factorsaffecting UV light intensity (and thus the disinfection efficiency ofUV) on an object is distance to the object and, thus, in many cases itis advantageous to position a room disinfection apparatus near thecenter of a room or near objects suspected to be contaminated tominimize distances to objects. Moreover, in environments in which a roomdisinfection apparatus may be used in several rooms of a building (suchas in a hospital), it is generally beneficial for the apparatus to beportable. For these reasons, many of the apparatuses described hereinand depicted in the drawings are directed to freestanding, portable andfloor-based room disinfection apparatuses.

In general, the apparatuses described herein may be configured todistribute light substantially uni-directionally or multi-directionally.As used herein, the phrase “configured to distribute light substantiallyunidirectionally” may refer to a configuration of an apparatus topropagate a majority of light emitted from a discharge lamp in a singledirection with auxiliary light propagated at angles of less than 30degrees from such a direction. All other distributions of light may bereferenced for the phrase “configured to distribute lightmulti-directionally.” Room disinfection apparatuses configured todistribute light substantially unidirectionally may be those disposedwithin a wall or a ceiling and/or which have a discharge lamp nestedwithin the confines of the apparatus without an auxiliary opticalcomponent system to redirect light propagating away from the apparatus.In contrast, room disinfection apparatuses configured to distributelight multi-directionally may be those which have a discharge lampextending out from a structure at which the discharge lamp is supportedand/or which have an auxiliary optical component system to redirectlight propagating away from the apparatus.

Given that a room generally includes objects of different sizes andshapes located at varying heights and distances from a given point inthe room (giving rise to the number and varying location surfaces to bedisinfected), it is sometimes advantageous for an apparatus used forroom disinfection to be configured to distribute ultraviolet light inmany directions (i.e., multi-directionally). Moreover, as noted above,it is sometimes advantageous to position a room disinfection apparatusaway from room walls to reduce distances to the variety of objects inthe room and effectively increase the disinfection efficiency of the UVlight emitted from the apparatus. Further to such ideas, it is sometimeseffective for a room disinfection apparatus to be configured such thatat least some ultraviolet light generated by a discharge lamp ispropagated to a region which encircles an exterior surface of theapparatus and further such that the ultraviolet light propagated to theencircling region during an operation of the apparatus collectivelyoccupies the entirety of the encircling region. Such a configurationprovides distinction from room disinfection apparatuses disposed inceilings or walls and is described in more detail below in reference tosome of the apparatuses depicted in the drawings.

Turning to FIG. 1, an exemplary configuration of an ultravioletdischarge lamp apparatus having a horizontally positioned lamp isprovided. In particular, apparatus 20 is shown having discharge lamp 22disposed within support structure 24 and specifically arrangedlengthwise parallel to a plane of apparatus 20 at which discharge lamp22 is supported (i.e., arranged parallel to an upper surface of supportstructure 24). As noted above and as will be set forth in more detailbelow, the apparatuses described herein are not restricted toembodiments in which a discharge lamp is arranged in a “horizontalposition.” Rather, the apparatuses described herein may includedischarge lamps arranged at any angle relative to the surface plane ofthe support structure at which the discharge lamp is supported.Furthermore, the apparatuses described herein are not limited toembodiments in which a discharge lamp is arranged in proximity to anupper surface of an apparatus. In particular, the apparatuses describedherein may have discharge lamps arranged in proximity to any exteriorsurface of an apparatus, including sidewalls and bottom surfaces.Horizontally positioned and vertically positioned lamps arranged inproximity to upper surfaces of support structures are discussed hereinin particularity since these were the configurations used to refine someof the novel features of the apparatuses disclosed herein. However, suchdisclosure should not be construed to necessarily limit the arrangementof discharge lamps in the apparatuses described herein. It is furthernoted that the apparatuses described herein are not restricted toembodiments in which a discharge lamp is nested within the confines of asupport structure as depicted in FIG. 1. Rather, apparatuses mayalternatively have a discharge lamp which is arranged at least partiallyexterior to a support structure, such as described for the exemplaryembodiments depicted in FIGS. 3-7.

In addition to discharge lamp 22, apparatus 20 includes power circuit 26disposed within support structure 24 and circuitry connecting the powercircuit to discharge lamp 22 as shown in FIG. 1. In general, powercircuit 26 and the connecting circuitry are configured to operatedischarge lamp 22 (i.e., to send an electrical discharge to the lamp tocreate a radiating plasma therein). In some cases, apparatus 20 mayinclude additional circuitry to provide power to other features in theapparatus, including but not limited to pulse regulator circuit 30,central processing unit (CPU) 32, user interface 34 and room occupancysensor 36 as shown in FIG. 1. Pulse regulator circuit 30 may generallybe included within apparatus 20 when discharge lamp 22 is a pulsed lightsource. In particular, pulse regulator circuit 30 may be configured tocontrol the frequency at which power circuit 26 applies a triggervoltage to the pulsed light source for operation. In embodiments inwhich discharge lamp 22 is a continuous light generation lamp, pulseregulator circuit 30 may be omitted from apparatus 20.

Although it is not necessary, one or more operations of apparatus 20 maycomputer-operated and, thus, apparatus 20 may, in some embodiments,include CPU 32 to carry out applicable program instructions. Inaddition, apparatus 20 may optionally include user interface 34 to offera means for a user to activate operation, and possibly particularoperation modes, of apparatus 20 as well as offer a means for a user toaccess data collected from the apparatus. Room occupancy sensor 36 is anoptional safety mechanism, which may generally be configured todetermine whether people are present in the room, such as by motiondetection or photo recognition. Other optional features shown inapparatus 20 include wheels 38 and handle 39 to affect portability forthe apparatus, but may be omitted depending on the design specificationsof the apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, apparatus 20 may include optical filter 40, coolingsystem 44 and reflector system 60. As will be set forth in more detailbelow, the configuration of optical filters, cooling systems andreflector systems as well as the placement of discharge lamps may varyamong the apparatuses described herein. In fact, alternative embodimentsfor one or more of such features are described in reference to FIGS. 2-7relative to the configurations shown and described in reference toFIG. 1. Each of such embodiments include a support structure andaccompanying components as described for FIG. 1, specifically inreference to support structure 22, power circuit 26, pulse regulatorcircuit 30, CPU 32, user interface 34, room occupancy sensor 36, wheels38 and handle 39. Such features, however, have not been depicted inFIGS. 2-7 for simplicity purposes as well as to emphasize the differingconfigurations of the depicted optical filters and reflector systems aswell as the placement of discharge lamps.

As noted above, each of the apparatuses described herein includes adischarge lamp configured to generate ultraviolet light. In someembodiments, a discharge lamp of an apparatus may be further configuredto generate other ranges of light, such as but not limited to visiblelight. In some of such cases, it may be advantageous to attenuate thevisible light, particularly if (but not necessarily so limited) thegenerated visible light is very bright and/or distracting. For instance,xenon flashlamps generate pulses of a broad spectrum of light similar tothe spectrum of sunlight, but the intensity of the visible light is upto 20,000 times higher than that of sunlight. As such, the apparatusesdescribed herein may, in some embodiments, include an optical filterconfigured to attenuate visible light. In some cases, the apparatusesdescribed herein may include an optical filter configured to attenuatelight in a majority portion of the visible light spectrum, greater than75% of the visible light spectrum, or the entire visible light spectrum.In other embodiments, however, the optical filter may be configured toattenuate light in less than a majority portion of the visible lightspectrum. In any case, the optical filter may be configured to attenuatea majority amount of light in a given portion of the visible lightspectrum and, in some cases, greater than 75% or all light in a givenportion of the visible light spectrum.

Since the apparatuses described herein are configured for ultravioletlight exposure, the optical filter must pass ultraviolet light inaddition to attenuating visible light. As such, in some cases, theoptical filter may be visible light band-stop filter. In otherembodiments, however, the optical filter may be an ultraviolet band-passfilter. In either case, the optical filter may be configured to pass amajority amount of light in a given portion of the ultraviolet lightspectrum and, in some embodiments, greater than 75% or all light in agiven portion of the ultraviolet light spectrum. In some cases, thegiven portion of the ultraviolet light spectrum may be a majorityportion of the ultraviolet light spectrum, greater than 75% of theultraviolet light spectrum, or the entire ultraviolet light spectrum. Inother embodiments, however, the given portion of the ultraviolet lightspectrum may be less than a majority portion of the ultraviolet lightspectrum. In some embodiments, the optical filter may be specificallyconfigured to pass light in a specific portion of the ultravioletspectrum. For example, in cases in which the apparatus is used fordisinfection, decontamination, or sterilization purposes, the opticalfilter may be configured to pass light in a majority portion, greaterthan 75%, or the entire portion of the germicidal UV spectrum (i.e.,approximately 200-320 nm). In addition or alternatively, the opticalfilter may be configured to pass light in a majority portion, greaterthan 75%, or the entire portion of the ultraviolet light spectrum knownto be optimally germicidal (i.e., approximately 260-265 nm).

An exemplary optical filter glass material which may be used as anoptical filter for the apparatuses described herein is Schott UG5 GlassFilter which is available from SCHOTT North America, Inc. of Elmsford,N.Y. Schott UG5 Glass Filter attenuates a majority portion of thevisible light spectrum while allowing approximately 85% of ultravioletlight in a range of approximately 260 nm to approximately 265 nm topass. Other optical filter glass materials with similar or differingcharacteristics may be used as well, depending on the designspecifications of an apparatus. In other cases, an optical filterconsidered for the apparatuses described herein may be a film having anyof the optical characteristics described above. In such embodiments, thefilm may be disposed on an optically transparent material, such asquartz. In other embodiments, an optical filter considered for theapparatuses described herein may be a combination of an optical filterglass material and a film disposed thereon, each of which is configuredto attenuate visible light. The term optical filter glass material usedherein refers to a material designed to influence the spectraltransmission of light by either blocking or attenuating specificwavelength spectrums. In contrast, the term optically transparent usedherein refers to a material which allows light to pass through withoutsubstantial blockage or attenuation of a specific wavelength spectrum.Quartz is a well known optically transparent material. The term film asused herein refers to a thin layer of a substance and is inclusive tothe term coating which refers to a layer of a substance spread over asurface. Films considered for the optical filters described herein maybe in solid or semi-solid form and, thus, are inclusive to solidsubstances and gels.

In any case, the efficiency of the optical filters in the apparatusesdescribed herein will decrease over time due to solarization and, thus,the optical filters may need to be periodically replaced. Solarizationis a phenomenon pertaining to a decrease in an optical component'sability to transmit ultraviolet radiation in relation to its time ofexposure to UV radiation. In some embodiments, an optical filterconsidered for the apparatuses described herein may include a rate ofsolarization that is approximately a whole number multiple of adegradation rate of the discharge lamp. Alternatively stated, thedischarge lamp may have a rate of degradation that is an approximatefactor of a rate of solarization of the optical filter. The term factorin such a characterization of the optical filter refers to themathematical definition of the term, specifically referring to a numberthat divides another number evenly, i.e., with no remainder. The rate ofsolarization of an optical filter may be approximately any whole numbermultiple of a degradation rate of the discharge lamp including one and,thus, in some embodiments, a rate of solarization of an optical filtermay be similar or the same as the rate of degradation of a dischargelamp.

In general, discharge lamps are warrantied to a number of uses (i.e., aparticular number of triggers to generate a plasma), which is determinedin accordance with the expected degradation of one or more of itscomponents. For example, pulsed light sources are often warrantied toparticular number of pulses. For the apparatuses described herein, sucha use count could be used to characterize a degradation rate of adischarge lamp by multiplying the amount of ultraviolet light to beemitted during each operation times the number of triggers the dischargelamp is warrantied to be used. In this manner, a degradation rate may becomputed which can be correlated to a solarization rate of an opticalfilter. If the solarization rate of an optical filter is approximately amultiple whole number of a degradation rate of a discharge lamp in anapparatus, the components may be advantageously replaced at the sametime and, thus, downtime of the apparatus may be reduced relative toembodiments in which the components are replaced based on theirindividual merits. In addition, in cases in which light is monitored todetermine when to replace the items, the monitoring process may besimplified in that light from only one component needs to be measured.Other features addressing solarization of the optical filterincorporated in the apparatuses described herein are discussed in moredetail below in reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, specifically referencing asensor system configured to monitor parameters associated with theoperation of the discharge lamp as well as the transmittance of theoptical filter and also inclusion of a thermal rejuvenation systemwithin the apparatuses.

Several different exemplary configurations and arrangements of opticalfilters as well as optional accompanying components are described indetail below, particularly in reference FIGS. 1-7. More specifically,several different configurations of apparatuses are described below foraccommodating an optical filter in alignment with a discharge lamp. Eachof optical filters in the embodiments described in reference to FIGS.1-7 may have the optical filter characteristics set forth above. Thecharacteristics are not reiterated for each embodiment for the sake ofbrevity. As noted above, although it is not necessarily so limited, anoptical filter may be especially suitable for a room disinfectionapparatus. This is because room disinfection apparatuses are generallyconfigured to distribute light into the environment of the apparatusand, thus, do not include a housing to contain the light. It is notedthat although the inclusion of an optical filter may be beneficial insome of the apparatuses described herein, it is not necessarily arequirement and, thus may be omitted in some embodiments.

Another distinctive feature presented for the apparatuses describedherein is a reflector system configured to redirect ultraviolet lightpropagating away from a support structure of an apparatus. In general,the reflector systems considered for the apparatuses described hereinmay be used to increase the size of an area exposed to ultraviolet lightby the apparatus, decrease the distance ultraviolet light is propagatedto target objects or areas, and/or improve the incidence angle ofultraviolet light on target objects or areas. Several differentexemplary configurations and arrangements of reflector systemsconfigured to accomplish one or more of such objectives are described inmore detail below and are shown in FIGS. 1-7. In particular, apparatuseshaving a repositionable reflector are described. In addition,apparatuses having a reflector system which is configured to redirectultraviolet light propagating away from a support structure of theapparatus to encircle an exterior surface of the apparatus aredescribed. As noted above, such a configuration may be particularlyapplicable for room disinfection apparatuses.

Furthermore, apparatuses are described which have a reflector systemconfigured to redirect ultraviolet light propagating away from a supportstructure of an apparatus to a region exterior to the apparatus andwhich is between approximately 2 feet and approximately 4 feet from afloor of a room in which the apparatus is arranged. In general, theregion between approximately 2 feet and approximately 4 feet from afloor of a room is considered a “high touch” region of a room sinceobjects of frequent use are generally placed in such a region. Examplesof objects typically found in a high touch zone of a room include butare not limited to desktops, keyboards, telephones, chairs, door andcabinet handles, light switches and sinks. Examples of objects in hightouch zones of hospital rooms additionally or alternatively includebeds, bedside tables, tray tables and intravenous stands. Due to such aregion being considered a high touch zone, it is generally consideredthe area of highest probability to come in contact with germs and somestudies indicate that the high touch zone may be the area having thehighest concentration of germs. For such reasons, it may be advantageousto direct at least some ultraviolet light to a region which is betweenapproximately 2 feet and approximately 4 feet from a floor of a room.The inclusion of a reflector system as described herein may be used toattain such an objective.

Although it is not necessarily so limited, the reflector systemsdescribed herein may be especially suitable for a room disinfectionapparatus. This is because room disinfection apparatuses are generallyconfigured to distribute light into the environment of the apparatusand, thus, do not include a housing to contain and reflect the light.For reasons set forth above, many of the apparatuses described hereinand depicted in the drawings are directed to floor based roomdisinfection apparatuses wherein the discharge lamp is arranged topropagate light above an upper surface of the support structure of theapparatus. As noted above, such emphasized disclosure should not,however, be construed to necessarily limit the configurations of theapparatuses described herein. For instance, in embodiments in which adischarge lamp is arranged to propagate light adjacent to a sidewallsurface of a support structure of an apparatus, the reflector system ofthe apparatus may include a reflector coupled to an uppermost portion ofthe sidewall surface and/or a reflector coupled to a lowermost portionof the sidewall surface such that ultraviolet light is reflecteddownward or upward to a concentrated area. In other cases in which adischarge lamp is arranged to propagate light below a lower surface of asupport structure of an apparatus, the reflector system of the apparatusmay include a reflector below the discharge lamp. Several otherarrangements may be suitable as well, particularly to increase the sizeof an area exposed to ultraviolet light by the apparatus, decrease thedistance ultraviolet light is propagated to target objects or areas,and/or improve the incidence angle of ultraviolet light on targetobjects or areas.

In any case, as described in more detail below, a reflector systemconsidered for the apparatuses described herein may include one or morereflectors, which may be of any size or shape and may be arranged at anyposition within an apparatus to achieve the desired redirection oflight. In addition, the material of the reflector/s may be any foundsuitable for the desired redirection of light. An exemplary reflectormaterial found suitable for many of the apparatus configurationsdescribed herein is 4300UP Miro-UV available from ALANODAluminium-Veredlung GmbH & Co. KG. Another exemplary reflector materialfound suitable for many of the apparatus configurations described hereinis GORE® DRP® Diffuse Reflector Material available from W. L. Gore &Associates, Inc. Other reflector materials may be additionally oralternatively used, depending on the design specifications of thereflection system. In any case, each of the embodiments of thereflection systems described in reference to FIGS. 1-7 may have thecharacteristics of the reflection systems set forth above. Thecharacteristics are not reiterated for each embodiment the sake ofbrevity. As with the inclusion of an optical filter in the apparatusesdescribed herein, although the inclusion of a reflector system may bebeneficial in some apparatuses, it is not necessarily a requirement and,thus, may be omitted in some embodiments. Furthermore, the features ofan optical filter and a reflector system are not mutually exclusive ormutually inclusive for an apparatus and, thus, an apparatus may includeone or both features.

Turning back to FIG. 1, apparatus 20 includes optical filter 40configured to attenuate visible light emitted from discharge lamp 22.The configuration of optical filter 40 to attenuate visible lightemitted from discharge lamp 22 in FIG. 1 specifically pertains to theoptical characteristics of the filter to attenuate visible light as wellas the placement of the optical filter above and in alignment withdischarge lamp 22. As shown in FIG. 1, optical filter 40 may be arrangedflush with the upper surface of support structure 24 between thesidewalls of cup portion 42 such that optical filter 40 comprises a wallof an encasement enclosing discharge lamp 22. As described in moredetail below, the apparatuses described herein include a cooling systemfor regulating the temperature of the discharge lamp and encasing thelamp within an enclosure offers an efficient manner to achieve a desiredtemperature. The use of optical filter 40 as a wall of an encasement ofdischarge bulb 22 may simplify the incorporation of the optical filterinto apparatus 20 and, thus, may be beneficial in some design aspects.However, in some embodiments, it may be beneficial to have opticalfilter 40 distinct from an encasement of discharge lamp 22. For example,in some cases, it may be advantageous to be able to arrange an opticalfilter in and out of alignment with a discharge lamp, depending on thedesired operation of the apparatus. Such a configuration is described inmore detail below and exemplary variations of apparatus 20 toaccommodate such a configuration are shown in FIGS. 2 a-2 c.

The cooling systems which may be considered for the apparatusesdescribed herein may vary and may generally depend on the designspecifications of the apparatus. Exemplary cooling systems which may beused include but are not limited to forced air systems and liquidcooling systems. Cooling system 44 shown in FIG. 1 is a forced airsystem including air inlet 46, air intake duct 48, fan 50, temperaturesensor 52, air duct 54 and air outlet 56. In some cases, one or more ofair inlet 46, air intake duct 48, air duct 54 and air outlet 56 mayinclude air filters. In some embodiments, air duct 54 and/or air outlet56 may additionally or alternatively include an ozone filter. In othercases, however, an ozone filter may be omitted from the apparatus. Ozonemay generally be created as a byproduct from the use of discharge lamp22, specifically if the lamp generates ultraviolet light of wavelengthsshorter than approximately 240 nm since such a spectrum of UV lightcauses oxygen atoms of oxygen molecules to dissociate, starting theozone generation process. Ozone is a known health and air quality hazardand, thus, the release of it by devices is regulated by theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is also known that ozone is aneffective germicidal agent and, thus, if the amount of ozone to begenerated by a discharge lamp is lower than the EPA exposure limits forozone, it may be beneficial to exclude an ozone filter from apparatusesincluding such a discharge lamp.

In any case, different configurations of outlet ducts for cooling system44 may be considered for apparatus 20 as well as the other apparatusesdescribed herein. For example, in some configurations, a cooling systemmay be configured with an air outlet on the lower portion of a sidewallof support structure 24 or on the bottom surface of support structure24. Benefits of such alternative configurations include increasedcapacity for an ozone filter as well as reduced disturbance to theenvironment, particularly when an air outlet is positioned on the bottomsurface of support structure 24. In any case, the apparatuses describedherein may include a cooling system for the rest of the componentswithin support structure 24. In some cases, the support structurecooling system may be integrated with cooling system 44 for dischargelamp 22. In other embodiments, however, the two cooling systems may bedistinct.

As noted above, apparatus 20 may include reflector system 60. Ingeneral, reflector system 60 is configured to redirect ultraviolet lightpropagating away from support structure 24. The configuration ofreflector system 60 to achieve such an objective involves the placement,shape, size and angle of reflector 62. In particular, discharge lamp 22is arranged in apparatus 20 to propagate light above an upper surface ofsupport structure 24, and, thus, reflector 62 is arranged abovedischarge lamp 22 to redirect the propagating ultraviolet light. Ingeneral, the redirection of the ultraviolet light reduces the distanceultraviolet light travels to objects adjacent to the apparatus,including underside surfaces of objects as well as top and sidewallsurfaces of objects. In particular, the redirection of ultraviolet lightvia reflector 62 averts travel to surfaces above the apparatus (e.g.,the ceiling of the room in which the apparatus is arranged) to getreflected back to objects adjacent to the apparatus. Averting travel tosurfaces above the apparatus also shortens the distance ultravioletlight needs to travel to be incident on the underside of objects (suchas by reflection from the floor of a room in which an apparatus isarranged).

In some cases, reflection system 60 may be configured to optimize theincident angle at which ultraviolet light is directed to objectsurfaces. For example, reflector 62 may be designed with a specific sizeand/or shape and/or may be repositionable such that an optimum incidentangle upon an object may be obtained. Exemplary configurations in whichreflector 62 is repositionable are discussed in more detail below. Inany case, reflector system 60 may, in some embodiments, include one ormore additional reflectors (i.e., in addition to reflector 62). Forexample, in some cases, reflector system 60 may include a reflectorcoupled to a sidewall of support structure 24, which is configured toredirect ultraviolet light received from reflector 62. The inclusion ofsuch an additional reflector may be beneficial for directing ultravioletlight to undersides of objects within a room. Additional reflectors maybe used as well or alternatively and may generally be designed (i.e.,size, shape and placement) to achieve any one of the objectives notedabove for reflector system 60 in conjunction with reflector 62.

In some embodiments, reflector system 60 may be specifically configuredto redirect ultraviolet light propagating away from support structure 24to a region which is between approximately 2 feet and approximately 4feet from a floor of a room in which apparatus 20 is arranged. Inparticular, as set forth above, it may be advantageous to redirectultraviolet light to such a region since it is a high touch zone. Insome cases, reflector system 60 may be additionally or alternativelyconfigured to redirect ultraviolet light propagating away from supportstructure 24 to a region which encircles an exterior surface of theapparatus. For instance, reflector 62 may be of a shape and size suchthat ultraviolet light is redirected to a region encircling supportstructure 24. Alternatively, reflector 62 may be of a shape and sizesuch that ultraviolet light is redirected to a region encirclingreflector system 60. In either case, a conical shape for reflector 62may be particularly suitable to achieve such redirection.

The term encircle as used herein refers to the formation of a continuouscircle around an object. The term is not restricted to embodiments ofsurrounding an entirety of an object or even a major portion of anobject. Thus, the phrasing that the apparatuses described herein may beconfigured such that ultraviolet light encircles an exterior surface ofan apparatus refers to the formation of a continuous ring of ultravioletlight around at least some exterior portion of the apparatus. Inaddition, the phrasing that the apparatuses described herein may beconfigured such that ultraviolet light propagated to a region encirclingan apparatus during an operation of the apparatus collectively occupiesthe entirety of the encircling region refers to each part of acontinuous ring region around an apparatus being exposed to ultravioletlight at some time during the operation of the apparatus.

Regardless of the configuration of reflection system 60 or whetherapparatus 20 even includes reflection system 60, apparatus 20 may, insome embodiments, include another reflector system arranged withinsupport structure 24 which is configured to redirect light emitted fromdischarge lamp 22 in the direction of light propagation away from thesupport structure. In particular, apparatus 20 may include a reflectionsystem which is configured to redirect light emitted from the side andbottom surfaces of discharge lamp 22 in the same direction as the lightemitted from the top surfaces of discharge lamp 22. An example of such areflection system may involve the floor and/or sidewalls of cup portion42 having a reflective material. Other configurations of reflectionsystems, however, may be considered for the apparatuses describedherein.

As shown in FIG. 1, reflector system 60 may include support beams 64 and66 to suspend reflector 62. Such a cantilever support structure ismerely an example and various other support structures may be consideredfor reflector 62. Regardless of the configuration to suspend reflector62 above discharge lamp 22, reflector system 60 may, in some cases,include through holes such that some light propagated toward reflectorsystem 60 may pass through to regions above reflector system 60. Anexample of an embodiment is shown in FIG. 1 with support beam 66including through holes 68. In additional or alternative cases,reflector 62 may include through holes for such a purpose. In otherembodiments, reflector system 60 may be void of such through holes.Regardless, the size of reflector system 60 and, more specifically, thesize of reflector 62 may vary among apparatuses. In some cases, theareal dimensions of reflector 62 may be the same or larger than theareal dimensions of the encasement in which discharge lamp 22 iscontained. In this manner, nearly all the light propagating from supportstructure 24 will be directed to reflector 62. In other embodiments,however, the areal dimensions of reflector 62 may be smaller than theareal dimensions of the encasement in which discharge lamp 22 iscontained. In such cases, some light propagating from support structure24 may be directed beyond reflector 62.

Regardless of its size and configuration, reflector system 60 may, insome cases, be configured to move reflector 62 in the horizontal and/orvertical direction as shown by the double-arrowed lines in FIG. 1. Inthis manner, reflector 62 may be repositionable reflector. In someembodiments, reflector 62 may be moved between operations of apparatus20 and, as such, reflector system 60 may, in some cases, include a meansfor securing the repositionable reflector at different positions withinapparatus 20. In other embodiments, reflector system 60 may include ameans for moving reflector 62 while apparatus 20 is in operation. Themovement of reflector 62 may be continuous or periodic while apparatus20 is in operation and, thus, reflector 62 may be moved while dischargelamp 22 is emitting light in some cases. The reference of apparatus 20being in operation refers to when the components of the apparatus havebeen activated to operate discharge lamp 22 and specifically theoperations by which to generate a radiating plasma within the dischargelamp. As noted above, discharge lamp 22 may, in some embodiments, beconfigured to generate continuous light once the lamp is triggered and,as such, the reference of apparatus 20 being in operation in such casesrefers to the time used to trigger the lamp as well as the time ofcontinuous light emission. In other embodiments, a flashlamp or a pulsedlight source may be used for discharge lamp 22 and, in such cases, thereference of apparatus 20 being in operation refers to the times inwhich light is emitted from the lamp as well as times in between thelight flashing.

In any case, a means for moving reflector 62 and sometimes securingreflector 62 at different positions within apparatus 20 may, in someembodiments, include linear actuator/s for beam 64 and/or beam 66 aswell as program instructions processed by CPU 32 to affect the movementof the linear actuator/s and the timing thereof. In some embodiments,apparatus 20 may be configured such that reflector 62 may be movedmanually. An exemplary means for securing reflector 62 at differentpositions within apparatus 20 in such cases may include notches alongbeam 64 and/or beam 66 and a receiving protrusion on reflector 62 orvice versa. Other various means for moving reflector 62 and/or securingreflector 62 at different positions within apparatus 20 may beconsidered as well and, thus, the apparatuses are not limited to theexamples noted above. In any case, reflector 62 may be detachable fromapparatus 20 in some cases to affect its movement relative to dischargelamp 22 and/or for ease of storage or portability of apparatus 20.

In some cases, the movement of reflector 62 may be based oncharacteristics of a room in which apparatus 20 is arranged. Inparticular, in some embodiments, it may be advantageous to analyze thecharacteristics of a room, such as but not limited to determining thesize of the room and/or determining the number, size and/or distances ofobjects within the room. Such information may be worthwhile to determinea number of operational parameters for apparatus 20, such as but notlimited to the placement of reflector 62 and/or the movementcharacteristics of reflector 62. For example, if a relatively highnumber of objects within a room are in the same general area, it may bebeneficial to position reflector 62 to direct more light to that area ascompared to other areas in the room. In some embodiments, apparatus 20may include system 70 for collecting data regarding characteristics of aroom in which the apparatus is arranged. Any system known in the art foranalyzing characteristics of a room may be used. Examples includespatial sensors and/or photo recognition systems. As shown in FIG. 1,system 70 may, in some embodiments, be operationally coupled to CPU 32.In such cases, CPU 32 may be configured to retrieve data from system 70and determine a position of reflector 62 based on the data. In someembodiments, the determined position may be relayed via user interface34 such that a user of apparatus 20 may be informed to move reflector 62to such a position. In other cases, CPU 32 may be configured to send acommand in accordance with the determined position to a means withinapparatus 20 for automatically moving reflector 62.

In some embodiments, system 70 may be additionally or alternatively usedto measure doses of ultraviolet light received at an object or spot in aroom in which apparatus 20 is arranged. In particular, measuring thedose of ultraviolet light received at an object or spot in a room mayaid in optimizing the placement of reflector 62. As noted above, one ofthe primary factors affecting UV light intensity on an object isdistance to the object. Another primary factor is the angle of incidenceof the light. In light thereof, if doses of ultraviolet light receivedat an object or spot in a room can be measured, such measurements can beused to move reflector 62 such as to optimize the angle of incidence onthe object or spot. Through the operational coupling of system 70 to CPU32, CPU 32 may be configured to retrieve measurements from system 70,determine a position of reflector 62 based on the measurements, andeither relay the determined position to user interface 34 and/or send acommand in accordance with the determined position to a means withinapparatus 20 for automatically moving reflector 62. In general, anysystem known in the art for measuring ultraviolet light doses may beused for system 70. Examples include ultraviolet dosimeters andradiometers.

As noted above, the efficiency of discharge lamps and optical filterswill decrease over time due to solarization. In addition, dischargelamps generally have a limited life as components thereof wear after agreat deal of use. As such, the apparatuses considered herein may, insome embodiments, include a sensor system configured to monitorparameter/s associated with the operation of the discharge lamp and, ifapplicable, parameter/s associated with the transmittance of the opticalfilter. In particular, such a sensor system may be beneficial fordetermining when to replace the discharge lamp and, if applicable, theoptical filter as well as monitoring the efficiency of the UV lightemitted from the apparatus since it relates to UV intensity and dose. Ingeneral, the parameter/s associated with the transmittance of an opticalfilter may be ultraviolet light dose or ultraviolet light intensity. Thesame parameters may be monitored for the operation of a discharge lamp,but pulse count may additionally or alternatively be monitored sincedischarge lamps are generally warrantied for a specific number ofpulses. In any case, when a sensor system is to be used to monitorparameter/s associated with both the operation of a discharge lamp andthe transmittance of an optical filter, the sensor system may beconfigured to monitor the same parameters or different parametersregarding the two components. In some embodiments, a sensor system mayinclude a single sensor configured to measure parameter/s associatedwith a discharge lamp and an optical filter. In other embodiments,however, a sensor system may include distinct sensors for measuringrespective parameters of a discharge lamp and an optical filter.

An exemplary sensor system for apparatus 20 of FIG. 1 includes sensor 72arranged on the underside of reflector system 60 and sensor 74 arrangedin the encasement comprising discharge lamp 22. In general, sensor 74may be used to monitor a parameter associated with the operation ofdischarge lamp 22 and, more specifically, may be used to monitor lightemitted from discharge lamp 22 prior to passing through optical filter40. FIG. 1 illustrates sensor 74 disposed on a sidewall surface of cupportion 42, but sensor 74 may be arranged at any location within theencasement of discharge lamp 22. In other embodiments, sensor 74 may beomitted from apparatus 20. In particular, sensor 72 may, in someembodiments, be configured to monitor parameters associated with theoperation of discharge lamp 22 (such as by pulse count) and, thus,sensor 74 may not be needed. In any case, sensor 72 may be used tomonitor a parameter associated with the transmittance of optical filter40 and, thus, may be arranged at any location on apparatus 20 or nearbyapparatus 20 to receive light passed through optical filter 40. FIG. 1shows sensor 72 arranged on the underside of reflector system 60, butsuch a placement is exemplary.

As noted above, it may be advantageous, in some cases, to be able toarrange an optical filter in and out of alignment with a discharge lamp,depending on the desired operation of an apparatus. Example embodimentsinclude those in which an apparatus will be used in various rooms, somewith windows and others with no windows. As noted above, it may beadvantageous to have an optical filter arranged in alignment with adischarge lamp in rooms having windows. In contrast, however, it may bebeneficial to be able to arrange an optical filter out of alignment witha discharge lamp in a closed room with no windows to prevent unnecessarydegradation of the optical filter. More specifically, since the visiblelight generated by a discharge lamp in a closed room will not be seen,filtering the light may not be needed. Furthermore, as noted above, theability of an optical filter to transmit ultraviolet radiation willdecrease in relation to its time of exposure to UV radiation due tosolarization. As such, having the ability to arrange an optical filterout of alignment with a discharge lamp may offer a manner in which toextend the life of an optical filter for a given apparatus.

Exemplary variations of apparatus 20 which are configured such that anoptical filter may be arranged in an out of alignment with dischargelamp 22 are shown in FIGS. 2 a-2 c. In particular, FIGS. 2 a-2 cillustrate variations to the placement of optical filter 40 relative toits placement in FIG. 1 as being part of the encasement of dischargelamp 22. It is noted that FIGS. 2 a-2 c merely set forth examples ofconfigurations for accommodating an optical filter in an out ofalignment with a discharge lamp, but such exemplary disclosures anddepictions should not be construed to limit the configurations ofapparatuses described herein for such an objective. It is further notedthat although FIGS. 2 a-2 c are described as variations to apparatus 20in FIG. 1, FIGS. 2 a-2 c only depict a fraction of an apparatus in theinterest to simplify the drawings. In particular, FIGS. 2 a-2 c onlydepict the placement of optical filter 40 relative to the encasement ofdischarge lamp 22 within support structure 24. It is noted that featuresdepicted in FIGS. 2 a-2 c with the same configurations as described inreference to FIG. 1 (i.e., discharge lamp 22, support structure 24,optical filter 40 and cup portion 42) are denoted with the samereference numbers and the descriptions of such features are notreiterated for the sake of brevity. Since the embodiments of FIGS. 2 a-2c do not have optical filter 40 as part of the encasement of dischargelamp 22, each of FIGS. 2 a-2 c include a new feature relative to FIG. 1,specifically encasement topper 82. In general, encasement topper 82 maybe of an optically transparent material, such as but not limited toquartz.

As shown in FIG. 2 a, variation 80 to apparatus 20 may include opticalfilter 40 arranged upon encasement topper 82. In such a configuration,optical filter 40 may, in some embodiments, simply be placed on top ofsupport structure 24 (i.e., the portion of support structure 24comprising encasement topper 82) without a means of securing opticalfilter 40 to the support structure. Alternatively, variation 80 mayinclude a means to affix optical filter 40 to support structure 24. Ineither case, placement of optical filter 40 upon encasement topper 82may be manual or may be automated. FIG. 2 b illustrates variation 84 ofapparatus 20 slightly modified relative to variation 80 in FIG. 2 a. Inparticular, FIG. 2 b illustrates the inclusion of hinge 86 mounted toone side of optical filter 40. In this manner, optical filter 40 may bearranged upon encasement topper 82 and may be removed from such aposition without detachment from the apparatus. Hinge 86 may beconfigured to pivot optical filter 40 any angle between 90 and 180degrees relative to the position of optical filter 40 shown in FIG. 2 b.Thus, optical filter 40 may be put in any position between an uprightposition and a position on support structure 24 opposing discharge lamp22 when moved from the position above the discharge lamp. Movement ofoptical filter 40 in such embodiments may be manual or may be automated.A different variation of apparatus 20 is depicted in FIG. 2 c which hasoptical filter 40 arranged upon a slider for moving the optical filterin and out of alignment with discharge lamp 22 along the upper surfaceof support structure 24, as is indicated by the horizontal double arrow.The movement of optical filter 40 on the slider may be manual orautomated.

Regardless of the configuration of apparatus 20 such that optical filter40 may be arranged in and out of alignment with discharge lamp 22,apparatus 20 may be configured such that optical filter 40 is protectedfrom exposure to ultraviolet light when not in alignment with dischargelamp 22. For instance, apparatus 20 may, in some embodiments, include acompartment in which optical filter 40 may be placed when it is removedfrom and/or repositioned in the apparatus. In addition or alternatively,apparatus 20 may include a component to cover optical filter 40 when itis taken out of alignment with discharge lamp 22. In any case, as setforth above, each of the embodiments disclosed in FIGS. 2 a-2 c may beautomated and, thus, not only may the apparatuses disclosed herein beconfigured to accommodate an optical filter in and out of alignment witha discharge lamp, the apparatuses may, in some embodiments, include ameans for automatically moving the optical filter in and out ofalignment with the discharge lamp. Such a means may include anymechanism/s known in the art for moving objects. In some embodiments,the determination of whether to move the optical filter and/or thetiming to move the optical filter may be determined by a user ofapparatus 20. In other cases, however, apparatus 20 may include programinstructions which are executable by CPU 32 such that the determinationof whether to move the optical filter and/or the timing to move theoptical filter may be automated.

In addition to such program instructions, apparatus 20 may include asystem, such as system 70, for collecting data regarding characteristicsof a room in which the apparatus 20 is arranged and, more specifically,for determining whether there is a window in the room. In general, anysystem known in the art for determining whether there is a window in theroom may be used for system 70 in such cases, such as but not limited toreflection sensors. Through the operational coupling of system 70 to CPU32, CPU 32 may be configured to retrieve data from system 70, determinea position of optical filter 40 based on the data, and either relay thedetermined position to user interface 34 and/or send a command inaccordance with the determined position to a means within apparatus 20for automatically moving optical filter 40. In this manner, inembodiments in which a window is detected in a room in which apparatus20 is arranged, optical filter 40 may be arranged in alignment withdischarge lamp 22 prior to operating the discharge lamp to producelight. Conversely, in embodiments in which a window is not detected in aroom in which apparatus 20 is arranged, optical filter 40 may bearranged out of alignment with discharge lamp 22 prior to operating thedischarge lamp to produce light. It is noted that the optionalconfigurations of system 70 and CPU 32 to affect movement of opticalfilter 40 may be in addition or alternative to the configurations notedabove for affecting movement of reflector 62.

FIG. 2 c illustrates an optional feature for apparatus 20 in conjunctionwith including a slider for optical filter 40, specifically theinclusion of thermal rejuvenation chamber 90 adjacent to supportstructure 24. As noted above, the ability of an optical filter totransmit ultraviolet radiation will decrease in relation to its time ofexposure to UV radiation due to solarization. In some cases, however,the solarization effects may be reversed if the optical filter is heatedat high temperatures, such as on the order of 500° C. Although such aprocess may be done independent of apparatus 20, it may be advantageousin some embodiments to incorporate the process into apparatus 20 toreduce downtime of the apparatus and/or such that a replacement opticalfilter does not need to be on hand while optical filter 40 is beingrejuvenated. Due to the high temperatures required to reverse theeffects of solarization, it is preferable that thermal rejuvenationchamber 90 be a distinct chamber from support structure 24. In addition,it would be advantageous for thermal rejuvenation chamber 90 to beconfigured to not only withstand, but substantially contain the heatgenerated therein to prevent heat degradation/damage of componentswithin support structure 24.

As shown by the downward arrow in FIG. 2 c, apparatus 20 may, in someembodiments, be configured to move optical filter 40 into thermalrejuvenation chamber 90. In other embodiments, it may be done manually.In either case, the movement of optical filter 40 into thermalrejuvenation chamber 90 may, in some embodiments, be dependent onmeasurements taken regarding the transmittance of optical filter 40. Inparticular, information collected from sensor 72 regarding thetransmittance of optical filter 40 may be used to determine when to movethe optical filter into thermal rejuvenation chamber 90. Although theinclusion of a thermal rejuvenation chamber may be beneficial in someapparatuses, it is not a requirement and, thus, may be omitted in someembodiments. Furthermore, the features of thermal rejuvenation chamber90 and optical filter 40 being on a slider as shown in FIG. 2 c areneither mutually exclusive nor mutually inclusive for an apparatus and,thus, an apparatus may include one or both features. In fact, any of theapparatuses described herein which include an optical filter may includea thermal rejuvenation chamber, including those described above inreference to FIGS. 1, 2 a and 2 b as well as those described below inreference to FIGS. 3-7.

As noted above, the apparatuses described herein are not restricted toembodiments in which a discharge lamp is disposed (i.e., nested) withinthe confines of a support structure as depicted in FIG. 1. Rather,apparatuses may alternatively have a discharge lamp which is arranged atleast partially exterior to a support structure. An exemplary embodimentof a variation to apparatus 20 in which discharge lamp 22 is arrangedexterior to support structure 24 is shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3,variation 92 may include a different optical filter configuration thanthat shown for apparatus 20 in FIG. 1, specifically optical filter 94instead of optical filter 40. In addition to being configured toattenuate visible light propagated above discharge lamp 22, opticalfilter 94 is configured to attenuate visible light propagated sidewaysfrom discharge lamp to account for discharge lamp 22 being arrangedabove support structure 24. Due to such a displacement of discharge lamp22, cup portion 42 may, in some embodiments, be omitted from supportstructure 24 as shown in FIG. 3. In such cases, variation 92 may, insome embodiments as shown in FIG. 3, include reflective plane 96disposed below discharge lamp 22 to redirect light emitted from thebottom of discharge lamp 22 upward.

As further noted above, the apparatuses described herein are notrestricted to embodiments in which a discharge lamp is arranged in a“horizontal position.” Rather, the apparatuses described herein mayinclude discharge lamps arranged at any angle relative to the surfaceplane at which the lamp is supported. Examples of apparatuses havingdischarge lamps arranged in a “vertical position” (i.e., arrangedlengthwise perpendicular to a plane of the apparatus at which the lampis supported) are shown in FIGS. 4-7. Each of such embodiments include asupport structure, a power circuit and accompanying optional components(e.g., pulse regulator circuit, CPU, user interface, sensors, roomcharacteristics system, hinge, slider, thermal rejuvenation chamber) asdescribed for FIG. 1. Each of such features, however, has not beendepicted in each of FIGS. 4-7 for simplicity purposes as well as toemphasize the differing configurations of the depicted optical filtersand reflector systems. Furthermore, each of such features has not beendescribed in reference to FIGS. 4-7 for the sake of brevity.

Turning to FIG. 4, apparatus 100 is shown having a discharge lampassembly supported above support structure 102 and arranged lengthwiseperpendicular to a plane of support structure 102. The discharge lampassembly includes discharge lamp 104 surrounded by optical filter 106and vertically disposed between fan 108 and ozone filter 119. Inaddition, the discharge lamp assembly includes base 110 and air filter112 supported at base 114. Optical filter 106 may, in some embodiments,be a wall of an encasement enclosing discharge lamp 22, making up aforced air cooling system for apparatus 100 with fan 108. Apparatus 100further includes reflector 118 affixed to ozone filter 119 at the top ofoptical filter 106. The characteristics of reflector 118, discharge lamp104 and the cooling system of apparatus 100 as well as the opticalcharacteristics of optical filter 106 may generally include thosedescribed above for all of the apparatuses considered herein and are notreiterated for the sake of brevity. As with the embodiments describedabove, several of the components included in apparatus 100 may bereplaced and/or omitted for other configurations of apparatusesdescribed herein, particularly optical filter 106, reflector 118 andozone filter 119. As such, the compilation and configurations ofcomponents depicted in FIG. 4 are not necessarily mutually inclusive.

Furthermore, it is noted that apparatus 100 may include additionalcomponents (i.e., components other than what is depicted in FIG. 4). Forexample, in some embodiments, apparatus 100 may include an opticallytransparent intermediate barrier arranged between and spaced apart fromdischarge lamp 104 and optical filter 106. An exemplary material for theintermediate barrier may be quartz, but its composition is not solimited. The intermediate barrier may be a wall of an encasementenclosing discharge lamp 104 and, thus, may be vertically disposedbetween fan 108 and ozone filter 119 and part of the cooling system forapparatus 100. In such cases, optical filter 106 surrounds theintermediate barrier as a distinct glass piece spaced apart from theintermediate barrier and is secured to base 110, fan 108, and/orreflector 118. Incorporating an intermediate barrier between dischargelamp 104 and optical filter 106 may be advantageous when it is desirableto have the capability to arrange optical filter 106 in and out ofalignment with discharge lamp 104 or when it is desirable to haveoptical filter 106 move independent of discharge lamp 104 duringoperation of the apparatus. In particular, an intermediate barrier maytake on the role as being part of an encasement to discharge lamp 104,allowing movement of optical filter 106 without sacrificing a coolingsystem for discharge lamp 104.

As set forth in more detail below, it may be advantageous in someembodiments to move an optical filter of the apparatuses describedherein about a central axis (e.g., to rotate or oscillate) during theoperation of an apparatus. It is generally not desirable, however, tomove a discharge lamp in the same manner due to concerns of damage tothe discharge lamp. Thus, in some embodiments, optical filter 106 may besecured to base 110 or fan 108, but may be spaced apart from reflector118 or vice versa. In such cases, apparatus 100 may include anadditional component/s coupled to optical filter 106 which is configuredto block light, particularly visible light, in the gap between opticalfilter 106 and base 110, fan 108 or reflector 118. Exemplary componentswhich may be particularly suitable for such function may be a densecollection of bristles.

In any case, although the amount and rate of cooling gas discharged froman apparatus may vary greatly and may generally depend on the designspecifications of the apparatus, in some embodiments the amount and rateof gas may be sufficient to trigger sprinkler systems in a room,particularly when the outlet duct of a cooling system is directed towardthe ceiling as was discovered during the development of the apparatusesdescribed herein. As such, in some cases, apparatus 100 may include acap component spaced above the discharge lamp assembly to allow for airdischarge to the side of the apparatus rather than above the apparatus.An exemplary configuration of a cap component is shown in FIG. 5 anddescribed in more detail below. An alternative solution to preventsprinkler systems from being triggered from exhaust of a cooling systemis to lower the flow rate of gas through the lamp assembly if doing sodoes not cause the discharge lamp to be above its suggested maximumoperating temperature. On the contrary, decreasing the gas flow rate maynot be desirable in some cases (i.e., even if it does not cause thedischarge lamp to exceed is maximum operating temperature) sinceoperating discharge lamps at cooler temperatures generally offers alonger life for the lamp and theoretically generates more ultravioletlight.

FIG. 5 illustrates variation 115 to apparatus 100 having cap component117 arranged above the lamp discharge assembly of the apparatus and,more specifically, above an outlet of the cooling system within the lampdischarge assembly such that exhaust therefrom may be directed sidewaysrather than above the apparatus. As shown in FIG. 5, cap component 117may be may be domed to prevent objects from being placed thereon. Such adome configuration is not restricted to embodiments in which anapparatus includes a cap component above a discharge lamp assembly. Inparticular, the top of a discharge lamp assembly may be domed in somecases to prevent objects from being placed thereon. Furthermore, theinclusion of cap component 117 is not mutually inclusive to embodimentsin which ozone filter 119 comprises the entire top portion of thedischarge lamp assembly as shown in FIG. 5. In particular, any of theapparatuses disclosed herein may include a component spaced apart froman outlet of its cooling system to direct exhaust therefrom.

As shown in FIG. 4, apparatus 100 may, in some embodiments, includelinear actuators 116 coupled to base 114. In general, linear actuators116 may be used to move the discharge lamp assembly and attachedreflector 118 in and out of support structure 102. Such a configurationmay be advantageous for protecting the discharge lamp assembly and theattached reflector from damage while apparatus 100 is not in use and,particularly, in transport. In other embodiments, linear actuators 116may be used to move the discharge lamp assembly and the attachedreflector while apparatus 100 is in operation and, in some cases, whiledischarge lamp 104 is emitting light. In particular, in someembodiments, it may be advantageous to move the discharge lamp assemblyand the attached reflector while apparatus 100 is in operation to aid inthe distribution of ultraviolet light within a room in which theapparatus is arranged. Other manners of effecting movement of thedischarge lamp assembly and attached reflector may be used and, thus,the apparatuses considered herein are not necessarily limited to linearactuators 116 to achieve such an objective. For example, apparatus 100may alternatively have fixed rails along which the discharge lampassembly and attached reflector move. In any case, the configuration tomove a discharge lamp assembly during operation of an apparatus is notexclusive to embodiments in which the apparatus includes a reflectorattached to and/or above the discharge lamp assembly.

Since apparatus 100 is configured to extend discharge lamp 104 beyond anexterior surface of support structure 102, optical filter 106 isconfigured to surround discharge lamp 104 and, thus, may be cylindricalin shape in some cases as shown in FIG. 4. Such a configuration ofoptical filter 106 may include a right circular cylindrically formedoptical filter glass or may include a film having the desired opticalcharacteristics disposed upon an optically transparent right circularcylindrical substrate, such as quartz for example. Other configurationsof optical filters which surround discharge lamp 104 may also bepossible as described in more detail below in reference to FIGS. 6 and7. In yet other cases, optical filter 106 may be omitted from apparatus100. In particular, as noted above although the inclusion of an opticalfilter may be beneficial in some of the apparatuses described herein, itis not necessarily a requirement.

A benefit of having apparatus 100 configured to extend discharge lamp104 beyond an exterior surface of support structure 102 is thatultraviolet light emitted from discharge lamp 104 and, if applicable,passing through optical filter 106 encircles an exterior surface of theapparatus without necessarily the inclusion of reflector 118. Inparticular, the extension of discharge lamp 104 beyond an exteriorsurface of support structure 102 innately causes ultraviolet lightemitted from discharge lamp 104 and, if applicable, passing throughoptical filter 106 to encircle the lamp housing, which comprises anexterior surface of the apparatus. Depending on the height of supportstructure 102 as well as the height of the discharge lamp assembly, theextension of discharge lamp 104 beyond an exterior surface of supportstructure 102 may cause ultraviolet light emitted from discharge lamp104 to encircle support structure 102 as well. Further yet, theextension of discharge lamp 104 beyond an exterior surface of supportstructure 102 may, in some embodiments, cause ultraviolet light topropagate to a region which is between approximately 2 feet andapproximately 4 feet from a floor in which apparatus 100 is arranged,which as described above may be considered a high touch zone in a roomneeding particularly effective disinfection. In yet other cases,although the suspension of discharge lamp 104 above support structure102 may be beneficial for distributing light around apparatus 100, theplacement of discharge lamp 104 is not necessarily so limited. Inparticular, discharge lamp 104 may alternatively be arranged uponsupport structure 102 or may be partially disposed with supportstructure 102.

Since extending a discharge lamp beyond an exterior surface of a supportstructure is effective for propagating light around an apparatus, areflector system for redirecting ultraviolet light propagating away fromthe apparatus may not be needed in some embodiments of the apparatusesdescribed herein, particularly for apparatuses having verticallypositioned discharge lamps. In some cases, however, such a reflectorsystem may be included as shown in apparatus 100 of FIG. 4. As notedabove, a reflector system of apparatus 100 may include reflector 118affixed to ozone filter 119 at the top of optical filter 106. Althoughsuch a configuration may be advantageous for moving reflector 118 withthe discharge lamp assembly (i.e., in a vertical direction in and out ofsupport structure 102), the configuration of apparatus is not solimited. In particular, reflector 118 may alternatively be detached fromthe discharge lamp assembly in apparatus 100. Such a configuration maybe advantageous in embodiments in which it is desirable to move thereflector independent of the discharge lamp assembly, such as foroptimizing a redirection of ultraviolet light to a specific area. Otheralternative configurations for apparatus 100 include reflector 118 andozone filter 119 having the same or similar diameter and beingvertically disposed relative to each other as shown in FIG. 5. Inparticular, FIG. 5 illustrates variation 115 to apparatus 100 in whichozone filter 119 comprises a top portion of the discharge lamp assemblywith reflector 118 comprising the bottom portion of the assembly. Such aconfiguration may advantageously allow greater air flow through the lamphousing and, thus, provide a more efficient cooling system. In yet otherembodiments, ozone filter 119 may be omitted from apparatus 100 andreplaced with an air filter and/or an optical filter.

In any case, reflector 118 may be circular as shown in FIG. 4 and, maybe specifically conical in some embodiments. Other shapes, however, maybe considered for reflector 118. In some embodiments, reflector 118 mayinclude holes such that some ultraviolet light may be propagated aboveapparatus 100. In any case, apparatus 100 may, in some embodiments,include additional reflector/s for redirecting ultraviolet lightpropagating from either discharge lamp 104 and/or reflector 118. Forinstance, in some embodiments, apparatus 100 may include a reflectordisposed around the base of discharge lamp assembly. In some cases, theadditional reflector may be attached to the discharge lamp assembly suchthat it moves with it. In other embodiments, the additional reflectormay be affixed to the upper surface of support structure 102 and thedischarge assembly may move through it. As with the shape of reflector118, the additional reflector may, in some cases, be circular and evenconical, but other shapes may be considered. Regardless of theconfiguration of reflector 118 or even its inclusion within apparatus100, the base to which discharge lamp 104 is supported (e.g., the top offan 108) may include a reflector.

As noted above, other configurations of optical filters which surrounddischarge lamp 104 may be considered for the apparatuses disclosedherein and are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. It is noted that the variationsof apparatuses illustrated FIGS. 6 and 7 are used to emphasize differentconfigurations of optical filters which may be considered for theapparatuses described herein. Although not shown, the variations ofapparatuses illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 may include any of thecomponents shown and described in FIGS. 1-5. For example, the variationsmay include any components of the lamp assembly described in referenceto FIG. 4 as well as reflector 118. Furthermore, the size of ozonefilter 119 in FIGS. 6 and 7 may be altered from its depiction and/orozone filter 119 may be omitted from the configurations of FIGS. 6 and7, depending on the design specifications of an apparatus.

FIG. 6 illustrates variation 120 to apparatus 100 having multifacetedoptical filter 122 surrounding discharge lamp 104. FIG. 6 illustratesmultifaceted optical filter 102 arranged upon support structure 102, butsuch an arrangement is exemplary. Multifaceted optical filter 122 mayalternatively be suspended above support structure 102 as is shown anddepicted for optical filter 106 in FIG. 4. In yet other embodiments,multifaceted optical filter 122 and accompanying discharge bulb 104 maybe partially disposed with support structure 122. In any case, amultifaceted optical filter generally includes multiple panels ofoptical filters fused together. Although multifaceted optical filter 122is shown including six panels, it is not so limited. In particular, themultifaceted optical filters considered for the apparatuses describedherein may include any plurality of optical filter panels. In addition,the optical filter panels may be made of optical filter glass materialor may be made of optically transparent substrates, such as quartz forexample, having films with the desired optical characteristics disposedthereon. In either case, the optical filter panels may, in someembodiments, include narrow strips of a different material (such asmetal or plastic) for structural support. In some cases, one or more ofthe narrow support strips may partially or entirely include a reflectivematerial to aid in redirection of light emitted from the discharge lamparound which they are arranged.

In some embodiments, a multifaceted optical filter may be cheaper than aright circular cylindrical optical filter, particularly for embodimentsin which the optical filter is made of an optical filter glass material.A disadvantage of employing a multifaceted optical filter, however, maybe that ultraviolet light may be blocked where the plates are fusedand/or where support strips are disposed and, thus, areas of a room inwhich the apparatus is arranged may not be adequately disinfected. Oneway to overcome such deficiency is to move the multifaceted opticalfilter during operation of the apparatus. In particular, themultifaceted optical filter may be moved around a central axis such thatultraviolet light propagated to a region encircling apparatus 100 duringthe operation of the apparatus may collectively occupy the entirety ofthe encircling region. The multifaceted optical filter may be rotated afull revolution or more during the operation of the apparatus or may berotated less than a revolution during the operation of an apparatus. Insome embodiments, the multifaceted optical filter may be moved afraction of a revolution, wherein the fraction corresponds to the numberof optical panels comprising the multifaceted optical filter. Forexample, in embodiments in which the multifaceted optical filterincludes six optical panels, the multifaceted optical filter may bemoved ⅙ of a revolution.

In any case, some of the apparatuses described herein may include ameans for moving an optical filter around a central axis. Such a meansmay include any mechanism known in the art for moving an object and, infurther embodiments, may also include program instructions which areexecutable by CPU 32 such that the timing to move the optical filteraround a central axis may be automated. As noted above, although it maybe advantageous in some embodiments to move an optical filter of theapparatuses described herein about a central axis during the operationof an apparatus, it is generally not desirable to move a discharge lampin the same manner due to concerns of damaging the discharge lamp. Thus,in some embodiments, variation 120 may include an intermediate barrierbetween discharge lamp 104 and multifaceted optical filter 122. Asdescribed above, the intermediate barrier may be part of an encasementaround discharge lamp 104. In addition, multifaceted optical filter 122may be configured to move independent of the intermediate barrier.

In yet other embodiments, multifaceted optical filter 122 may not beconfigured to move about a central axis during the operation of anapparatus. In particular, it is theorized that light propagated fromneighboring optical filter panels of multifaceted optical filter 122 mayconverge at some point and, thus, ultraviolet light may encircle anexterior surface of apparatus 100 without moving multifaceted opticalfilter 122 around a central axis during operation of apparatus 100. Inyet other embodiments, discharge lamp 104 may include a configurationwhich counteracts potential blocking from the fused areas of the opticalfilter panels and/or support strips disposed on multifaceted opticalfilter 122. For example, discharge lamp 104 may include a U-shaped bulbhaving a spacing between the “bars” of the U that is larger than thewidth of the fused areas and/or the support strips. In either of suchcases, apparatus 100 may be referred to as being configured such that atleast some of the ultraviolet light emitted from discharge lamp 104 andpassed through multifaceted optical filter 122 encircles an exteriorsurface of the apparatus. Alternatively, it may be determined that thegaps of coverage incurred by the fused areas of the optical filterpanels and/or where support strips are disposed on multifaceted opticalfilter 122 may not be significant and, thus, movement of multifacetedoptical filter 122 may not be needed.

FIG. 7 illustrates yet another configuration of an optical filter whichmay be used within the apparatuses considered herein. In particular,FIG. 7 illustrates variation 124 to apparatus 100 having an assembly ofoptical filter 126 and reflector 128 surrounding discharge lamp 104. Asshown in FIG. 7, optical filter 126 and reflector 128 may, in someembodiments, be of approximately equal size along the cylindricalsidewalls of the assembly. However, other configurations are possible,including those in which optical filter 126 is larger than the portionof reflector 128 along the sidewalls of the assembly and those in whichoptical filter 126 is smaller than the portion of reflector 128 alongthe sidewalls of the assembly. As such, a more general description of anoptical filter/reflector assembly which may be considered for theapparatuses described herein may be an assembly which includes anoptical filer and a reflector opposing the optical filter or vice versa.

As shown in FIG. 7, reflector 128 may, in some cases, further comprise atop portion of the assembly. Other configurations for the assembly top,however, may be considered, including optical filter 126 alternativelycomprising the top portion of the assembly or having a combination ofreflector 128 and optical filter 126 comprising the top portion of theassembly. It further noted that the shape of the opticalfilter/reflector assembly is not restricted to being a right circularcylinder as shown in FIG. 7. Rather, one or more of reflector 128 andoptical filter 126 may include multiple panels and, thus, the assemblymay be of a polygonal cylinder shape in some cases. In addition oralternatively, the top of the assembly may be slanted or, moregenerally, have a variation in height. Such a configuration may beparticularly advantageous when at least a portion of the top includesreflector 128 such that ultraviolet light may be redirected downward toa desirable region within a room. In addition or alternatively, such aconfiguration may be advantageous for preventing exhaust from a coolingsystem of the apparatus from being directly routed to a ceiling of theroom in which the apparatus is arranged.

In any case, the optical filter/reflector assembly of FIG. 7 may beeffective for targeting a specific area within a room which is adjacentto the apparatus, such as an area having a high concentration ofobjects. In some embodiments, the optical filter/reflector assembly maybe configured to move. For example, in some cases, the opticalfilter/reflector assembly may be configured to oscillate. Such aconfiguration may be advantageous when a given target area is largerthan the span to which the optical filter/reflector assembly caneffectively emit ultraviolet light when it is stationary. In otherembodiments, the optical filter/reflector assembly may be configured torotate. In any case, the movement of the optical filter/reflectorassembly may, in some embodiments, be based on characteristics of a roomin which apparatus 100 is arranged. In particular, if a relatively highnumber of objects within a room are in the same general area, it may bebeneficial to position the optical filter/reflector assembly to directlight to that specific area as compared to other areas in the room. Insome embodiments, apparatus 100 may include system 70 for collectingdata regarding characteristics of a room in which the apparatus isarranged. Any system known in the art for analyzing characteristics of aroom may be used. Examples include spatial sensors and/or photorecognition systems. In some cases, apparatus 100 may further includeCPU 32 to retrieve data from system 70, determine a position of theoptical filter/reflector assembly based on the data, and either relaythe determined position to user interface 34 and/or send a command inaccordance with the determined position to a means within apparatus 100for automatically moving the optical filter/reflector assembly.

In addition or alternative to the features described above, theapparatuses described herein may, in some embodiments, include multipledischarge lamps. Such apparatuses may include optical filters and/orreflection systems for each discharge lamp in accordance with thedescriptions of such features provided above. In some embodiments, anapparatus may include a discharge lamp with an optical filter configuredto attenuate a majority amount of visible light emitted therefrom andfurther include a discharge lamp without an optical filter arranged inits proximity. Such a configuration may be advantageous for alternatingthe use of the discharge lamps depending on whether it is desired toattenuate visible light during operation of the apparatus. In any case,some or all of the multiple discharge lamps may be operated by the samepower source and, if applicable, the same pulse regulator. In otherembodiments, an apparatus may include a distinct power source and, ifapplicable, a distinct pulse regulator for each discharge lamp. It isfurther contemplated herein that multiple apparatuses each having one ormore discharge lamps may be configured to work in communication witheach other (i.e., make up a system) to disinfect a room. FIG. 8illustrates an exemplary system 130 including multiple ultravioletdischarge lamp apparatuses 132 and 142 respectively including dischargelamp assemblies 134 and 144 and sensors 136 and 146. The dotted linebetween apparatuses 132 and 142 indicates that the units may beconfigured to communicate with each other and/or may be connected via acentral processing unit.

In any case, an apparatus having multiple discharge lamps or a systemhaving multiple discharge lamp apparatuses may be configured to operatethe discharge lamps at the same time, in succession or in distinctoperations of the apparatus/system. Operating multiple discharge lampsat the same time may advantageously reduce the time needed to treat anarea. To further minimize the time needed to treat an area whilepreventing “overdosing” an area with too much UV light, anapparatus/system may be configured to modify the intensity or pulsefrequency of each lamp based on characteristics of the room in which theapparatus/system is arranged or on the ultraviolet light reflected froma target object. This may involve one or more sensors, and sometimes asensor for each discharge lamp unit, for determining characteristics ofa room or the amount or intensity of ultraviolet light reflected from atarget object. In some cases, an apparatus/system may include ultrasonicor other sensors to map a room in which the apparatus/system is arrangedand, in some embodiments, be configured to map a room in relation toeach discharge lamp unit. Such a mapping adaptation could also beincluded in an apparatus including a single discharge lamp which is notnecessarily part of a multi-apparatus system.

In any case, a CPU of an apparatus/system may be configured to analyzethe map/s and determine the necessary ultraviolet light dose in order toreach a minimum dose on all targeted surfaces. In addition, a CPU of amulti-lamp apparatus/system may be configured to allocate power to eachdischarge lamp unit to optimize the total treatment time for a room. Theabove could also be accomplished using feedback from sensors used tomeasure reflected ultraviolet light. Information from all sensors (e.g.,ultraviolet light emitted, room size/shape, and position of all bulbunits) could be fed into an equation or algorithm that determined atotal operating time for each bulb unit. This would allow power to bediverted to units to optimize the decontamination speed in an area. Forexample, in a system configuration, two units may be used to treatdifferent sections of an area or even different rooms. When sensorsdetect that one of the sections has received the required ultravioletlight dose, the corresponding unit could shut-off. The remaining unitcould, in some embodiments, receive the diverted power and be able topulse at a higher frequency if desired. The sensor system could besophisticated enough to detect whether there was a common space betweenthe different sections and further designate the second unit to treatthe common space and therefore exclude that area from the dosecalculations for the first unit. Additionally, operating time could beoptimized by altering the directionality of emitted ultraviolet lightfor each bulb unit through changes in reflector height, orientationand/or shape.

In some embodiments, an apparatus or system could be created that movedwithin a room to provide multiple foci for ultraviolet light dispersal.In such cases, the information obtained through room sensing (viaultrasonic sensors or reflected ultraviolet light) could be used toguide a moving apparatus/system through a room. An apparatus/systemcould move using motorized wheels and have sensors to maneuver aroundobstacles. An apparatus/system could “learn” a room through sensing inreal time as it moved, mapping the received dose on each surface as itmoved. An apparatus/system could also be manually pushed through a roomby a user while the apparatus/system mapped the room and then a CPU ofthe apparatus/system could analyze the map and determine the correctdose at each position for operation of the apparatus/system. The map anddose requirements could be used to alter the speed at which the mobileapparatus/system would pass by different surfaces.

It will be appreciated to those skilled in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure that this invention is believed to provide ultravioletdischarge lamp apparatuses having optical filters which attenuatevisible light and methods of operating such apparatuses. Furthermodifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of theinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of thisdescription. For example, although the aforementioned discussionsemphasize incorporating the optical filters within floor based room/areadisinfection apparatuses, the scope of this disclosure is not solimited. In particular, the configurations of optical filters describedherein may be arranged within any ultraviolet discharge lamp apparatus.Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative onlyand is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the generalmanner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that theforms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as thepresently preferred embodiments. Elements and materials may besubstituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts andprocesses may be reversed, and certain features of the invention may beutilized independently, all as would be apparent to one skilled in theart after having the benefit of this description of the invention.Changes may be made in the elements described herein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a u-shaped dischargelamp configured to emit ultraviolet light and visible light; a powercircuit configured to operate the u-shaped discharge lamp; and anoptical filter arranged adjacent to the u-shaped discharge lamp, whereinthe optical filter is configured to attenuate a majority amount ofvisible light emitted from the discharge lamp, wherein the opticalfilter comprises multiple panels which attenuate visible light, whereinthe multiple panels are fused together or joined by one or more supportstructures, and wherein a spacing between two parallel sections of theu-shaped discharge lamp is larger than a width of a fused area betweentwo of the multiple panels or is larger than a width of one of thesupport structures; and a support structure containing the power circuitand supporting the discharge lamp, wherein the apparatus is configuredsuch that at least some ultraviolet light emitted from the dischargelamp and passed through the optical filter is propagated to a regionwhich encircles an exterior surface of the apparatus, and wherein theultraviolet light propagated to the encircling region during anoperation of the apparatus collectively occupies the entirety of theencircling region.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the opticalfilter encircles the discharge lamp.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,further comprising: a means for moving the optical filter; a processor;and a storage medium having program instructions which are executable bythe processor for moving the optical filter while the discharge lamp isemitting light.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the programinstructions are executable by the processor for moving the opticalfilter continuously while the apparatus is in operation.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for moving the optical filtercomprises a means for rotating the optical filter around the dischargelamp.
 6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for moving theoptical filter comprises a means for oscillating the optical filter. 7.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multiple panels comprise the samematerial.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more supportstructures are reflective.
 9. An apparatus, comprising: a discharge lampconfigured to emit ultraviolet light and visible light; a power circuitconfigured to operate the discharge lamp; an optical filter arrangedadjacent to the discharge lamp, wherein the emitted optical filter isconfigured to attenuate a majority amount of visible light emitted fromthe discharge lamp, wherein the optical filter comprises multiple panelsof the same material which attenuates visible light and passesultraviolet light; and a support structure containing the power circuitand supporting the discharge lamp, wherein the apparatus is configuredsuch that at least some ultraviolet light emitted from the dischargelamp and passed through the optical filter is propagated to a regionwhich encircles an exterior surface of the apparatus, and wherein theultraviolet light propagated to the encircling region during anoperation of the apparatus collectively occupies the entirety of theencircling region.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the material ofthe multiple panels passes a majority amount of ultraviolet light in arange of approximately 260 nm to approximately 265 nm.
 11. The apparatusof claim 9, wherein the optical filter encircles the discharge lamp. 12.The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the discharge lamp is a pulsed lightsource.
 13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the multiple panels arejoined by reflective support structures.
 14. The apparatus of claim 9,wherein the discharge lamp is u-shaped, wherein the multiple panels arefused together or joined by one or more support structures, and whereina spacing between two parallel sections of the u-shaped discharge lampis larger than a width of a fused area between two of the multiplepanels or is larger than a width of one of the support structures. 15.An apparatus, comprising: a discharge lamp configured to emitultraviolet light and visible light; a power circuit configured tooperate the discharge lamp; an optical filter arranged adjacent to thedischarge lamp, wherein the optical filter is configured to attenuate amajority amount of visible light emitted from the discharge lamp,wherein the optical filter comprises multiple panels which attenuatevisible light, and wherein the multiple panels are joined by one or morereflective support structures of a different material than the multiplepanels; and a support structure containing the power circuit andsupporting the discharge lamp, wherein the apparatus is configured suchthat at least some ultraviolet light emitted from the discharge lamp andpassed through the optical filter is propagated to a region whichencircles an exterior surface of the apparatus, and wherein theultraviolet light propagated to the encircling region during anoperation of the apparatus collectively occupies the entirety of theencircling region.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one ormore reflective support structures are metal.
 17. The apparatus of claim15, wherein the optical filter encircles the discharge lamp.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 15, wherein the discharge lamp is arranged lengthwiseperpendicular to a horizontal plane of the apparatus and extends beyondan exterior surface of the support structure.
 19. The apparatus of claim15, wherein the multiple panels comprise the same material.
 20. Theapparatus of claim 15, wherein the discharge lamp is u-shaped, wherein aspacing between two parallel sections of the u-shaped discharge lamp islarger than a width of one of the reflective support structures.